Women of Wajir

Voice 2:And I’m Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1:The sound of music and laughter fills the air in the Wajir district of Northern Kenya. People talk, dance, and eat nice food! At the centre of their wedding celebrations are the new husband and wife. People from different tribes celebrate together. For a while, they almost forget the troubles and divisions of their land. In one corner, a group of women are talking about their lives. They agree that Wajir is not really a safe place. It is a place of conflict. The women discuss their concerns about their children’s future. They discuss how they wish for change. Then, they start to discuss how they could be involved in creating change. Here, in the middle of a wedding, begin the first steps towards an amazing peace process. In today’s Spotlight programme, we tell the story of the women of Wajir.

Voice 2:Wajir is in north-eastern Kenya. It is near the borders of Somalia and Ethiopia. Fighting from these countries has often spread into Wajir. Also, a lack of rainfall and natural resources has caused much fighting. In the fight to survive, people have injured and killed members of other tribes. Over time, different issues have caused the divisions - and made them deeper. In 1992, the Kenyan government declared Wajir to be in a state of emergency. It was in this situation that the women of Wajir decided to act.

Voice 1:Dekha Ibrahim was one of the key women involved in the Wajir peace process. She explained how it began:

Voice 3:‘At this time, I was in a group of women attending a local wedding. We discussed the fact that we could attend a wedding together. But we could not visit each other’s houses. This was because of the tribal conflicts. I and three other women decided to do something. We decided to work to bring peace and security back to our community.’

Voice 1:These women began by visiting the educated women in Wajir town. They visited women from all the different tribal groups. Then, they organised a meeting for ‘all women in Wajir who love peace.’ The first meeting was in July 1993. Over sixty women attended. These included women from the towns and the country areas. Dekha remembers,

Voice 3:‘This meeting was very emotional. It concentrated on the power that women had. We had the power to either make the violence continue. Or we had the power to bring peace to Wajir.’

Voice 1:The women decided to start the peace process in the market. The market was central to everyone’s survival. But it had become an unsafe place to trade. Dekha said;

Voice 3:‘Women refused to buy or sell to members of other tribes. This often included their husband’s relations. A number of fights happened. Several women were injured. And conflict increased in the market place.’

Voice 1:So, the women formed a special group. This group would watch the market. Whenever arguments started, the group would act quickly. Anyone causing trouble had to report to the group. The group chose the name 'Wajir Women for Peace', or WWP.

Voice 2:The WWP met every day for over a month with the market women. They dealt with all the issues of conflict in the market. Dekha remembers,

Voice 3:‘The market women used to say, “The men start the violence, but we and our children suffer”.’